Shopping at Adam’s in Wappingers yesterday and I noticed a truly remarkable win for the GF shoppers. Adam’s has a ready made hot food section where you can drop all of your delusions about cooking dinner and take one of those big silver spoons and scoop food for yourself and your family to your hearts content. And then you can do what I did last night and throw said ready-made food into lovely dishes, put some foil over top, pop them in the oven on 350 degrees and tell bold faced little white lies to everyone who walks through the door, that you’ve “cooked” dinner.

Here’s what happened yesterday that was a GF game changer for me. They actually had a sign above each and every option that was GF saying “Gluten-Free”. Turns out that baked chicken that I’ve been crossing my fingers about is, in fact, free of the gluten. So was the sauerkraut with kielbasa, roasted potatoes and assorted vegetables. That, my fine GF friends, was the makings of a complete meal and then some.

DISCLAIMER: Since it’s open food, as always, there is the risk for cross-contamination.

Boston is the gluten-free friendliest city that I’ve visited, ever. As I’ve already concluded, thanks to Dr. Peter Green of Columbia University, Celiac is prevalent in the Irish gene pool. Boston is famously Irish American, so that might be why they are killing it in the gluten-free department. I was staying at the Commander in Cambridge this past weekend and their in-house restaurant Nubar was filled with GF options. One night the server brought me so many slices of toasted GF bread to accompany my mussels that I told her I might cry. She looked scared. I assured her that this doesn’t usually happen for me and that they would be tears of joy.

The GF bread option at the hotel also made breakfast a very pleasant experience. Friday night we enjoyed take out from Dogwood in Jamaica Plain, at my eldest daughter’s super cute new apartment. She’s recently jumped on the GF bandwagon to see if some of her anemia issues abate. Here’s a bit from just their special GF Appetizer Menu. There’s so much more.

Saturday afternoon we were tooling around town and decided to hop on to Newberry Street, specifically to stop at Georgetown Cupcakes. Yes, we know how to party. There was the promise of a GF choice and we all know how that can go. It might look pretty but taste like Play-Doh. Again, we are in Boston, so I did let me get my hopes up.

Behold the beauty of the Georgetown Cupcake GFree Peanut Butter Cupcake. No, they were not both for me but yes, I wish they had been. This frosting was all creamy peanut butter, so good that I am sitting here at my desk on Monday morning still kicking myself for not getting a box to go.

Picture the scene. It’s Valentine’s night and you’ve just finished a beautiful takeout sushi dinner, because, let’s face it, who wants to go out when it’s 2 degrees. Your husband gets the Sweetheart Roll and you? One very basic avocado/mango roll and now it’s time for a Netflix binge of Scandal. (We’re only on Season 4, so no spoilers : ) One minute you’re counting how many ways they can hide Kerry Washington’s pregnancy (answer is…so many) and one hour later it’s Glutenous Interuptis.

It happens so rarely these days that’s it’s easy to convince myself that it’s “something else”. When my husband asks, “are you okay?”, I know that it’s happening again. How does he know? Because my symptoms are a festival of burps so frequent and audible, that anyone within earshot might think I’m going for a world record. And then the pain starts in the lower left side of my stomach.

I review everything that I’ve eaten. Is it the copious amount of chocolate? No, I checked the labels. It can’t be the innocuous sushi roll, the same one I’ve eaten time and time again at the restaurant with no problems. I recall a strange texture while I was eating but ignored it, because I was so engrossed in all of the creative camera angles. My sushi roll was wedged tightly in the same container with my husband’s sushi roll. He generally doesn’t eat tempura…..uh oh. That’s the texture that I felt in my mouth. My husband confirms the tempura in his roll. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been cross-contaminated.

So what to do now? Generally, I wait it out. Try and drink water but I’m feeling so full. Oh boy, here comes the “second trimester but I’m not pregnant bloat”. That coupled with the burp-a-thon and I’m a hot mess. For the first time ever, I reach for a Digestive Enzyme. For the first time ever, I’ve managed to lessen my symptoms within a few hours. I don’t know if I recovered quickly because of the enzyme or because the amount of gluten I ingested was small. Either way, I would definitely take the enzyme again.

I’ve added the list of recovery tools that I found when I was frantically searching the web. These come from Dr. Amy Myers, author of “The Autoimmune Solution, Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Disease”. I used one and it helped. Just saying.

3 Steps To Recover After Getting Glutened

1. The more quickly you can get the gluten out of your system, the better you’ll feel.

The three tips below will help you do that promptly and effectively.

Digestive Enzymes. Digestive enzymes help speed up the breakdown and absorption of macronutrients. Be sure to take an enzyme that includes dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-IV), which helps break down gluten specifically. In fact, I recommend that those with celiac and gluten intolerance take enzymes with DPP-IV when dining out.

Binding agents. Activated charcoal and bentonite clay bind toxins and help reduce gas and bloating. It’s best to increase water intake when taking either of these to avoid constipation, which will only delay healing.

Hydration. Fluids will help flush your system and keep you hydrated if you’re vomiting or have diarrhea. In addition to regular water, you can try coconut water, which contains electrolytes that may have been lost through vomiting or diarrhea.

2. Decrease inflammation.

Inflammation occurs naturally in our body when there has been an insult or injury to it. Decreasing this inflammation is essential to healing your gut. These three tips will help you reduce inflammation quickly.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oils, flax and chia seeds are full of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend 1-2 grams of omega-3 oils daily. You can go up to 4 grams a day for a week after accidental gluten ingestion.

Ginger has high levels of gingerol, which gives it a natural spicy flavor and acts as an anti-inflammatory in the body. It also has potent anti-nausea properties and can ease stomach cramping. Drinking warm ginger tea is a great idea.

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family that contains the active ingredient curcumin, which is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. My anti-inflammatory smoothie with turmeric is a great drink to help you quickly recover from getting glutened.

3. Heal your gut.

Nearly 70% of our immune system is in our gut. Having a healthy gut is crucial for optimal health. The six tips below will help you heal your gut.

Probiotics. Routinely, I recommend taking a highly concentrated probiotic (25-100 billion units) a day. I advise my patients to “double-up” on their probiotic dose for a week after a gluten exposure.

L-Glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid that is great for repairing damage to the gut, helping the gut lining to regrow and repair, undoing the damage caused by gluten. I recommend 3-5 grams a day for a week after exposure.

Slippery elm. Slippery elm contains mucilage, which stimulates nerve endings in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to increase its secretion of mucus. Mucus forms a barrier in the gut to protect it and promote healing.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) DGL is an herb that’s been used for more than 3,000 years in the treatment of digestive issues, including ulcers and indigestion. DGL also supports the body’s natural processes for maintaining the mucosal lining of the GI tract.

Marshmallow root is a multipurpose supplement that can be used for respiratory or digestive relief. Like slippery elm, it contains mucilage, which eases the inflammation in the stomach lining, heals ulcers, and treats both diarrhea and constipation by creating a protective lining on the digestive tract.

Bone brothis very high in the anti-inflammatory amino acids glycine and proline. The gelatin in bone broth protects and heals the mucosal lining of the digestive tract that may get disrupted by being glutened.

Once you realize that you have been glutened, implement this three-step approach as soon as possible. If you are not seeing any improvement in your symptoms after three days or you’re getting worse. I would advise you to follow up with your physician.

Sometimes it takes a village but this time it took my sister. I am beyond blessed to be the youngest of a Fab Five that includes three beloved older sisters and one beloved older brother. Out of the the Fab Five, two are confirmed Celiacs (a sister and myself), one has ulcerative colitis, another is undiagnosed but lives GF and my brother? Well, let’s just say there’s a River in da Nile…..just kidding, bro.

It’s rare, but we were all in one space today and my Celiac sister bought lunch (thanks, sisty) for the gang. When I heard that she was ordering from All Shook Up a retro eatery with a modern menu, I was super psyched. They have been on my GF radar for years and the planets finally aligned. This Poughkeepsie Cafe on Raymond Avenue promises great tasting food that’s still good for your body. From them…..”That’s why we bring you antibiotic and hormone-free meats, grass fed cheeses (many from Sprout Creek Farm right here in Dutchess County) and we proudly support local farms whenever possible. We use local and/or organic produce…mmm, taste the difference.”

As any good younger sister would do, I copied my older sister’s order and it rocked. We had the Love Me Tender: Voluptuously tender slices of roast beef topped with Sprout Creek Farm’s Bogart Cheese smothered w/ our agave glazed caramelized onions & homemade horseradish mayo. We had ours on a GF wrap and subbed out Turkey for the Roast Beef. They call it a “Wrappini”. Elvis would be a smitten kitten.

The sweetness of the agave glazed onions was a perfect companion for this otherwise savory wrap. My sister also highly recommended the soup and their Spinach Artichoke was stellar. They also have dishes that are diabetic friendly. Trust me, this food lacks for nothing and the taste is full throttle.

Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes below. The astounding gluten-free cafe and bakery, Ella’s Bellas has published their annual Thanksgiving Menu. This is a super convenient and delicious way to lighten your load this T-Day. If you are hosting this year and have only a smattering of gluten-free guests then this is a perfect way to make sure they are fed and pampered.

Trust me when I tell you to give them a call. Since this life saver has opened, I’ve used their services every Thanksgiving. Let’s start with her Baguette. You could use this sourdough, chewy, crusty delight as a stand-in for regular bread and no one would know the difference. I have no idea how proprietor Carly Hughes pulls off these foolproof feats, but I think it must involve elvin magic. Which brings me to her dead on apple pie. This might have been a tiny problem for me last holiday. When the electricity went out for the second time in two days last Thanksgiving and with two turkeys in the oven…I might have, maybe, sort of, taken my frustration out on “a lot” of that crumbly, sweet pie. Don’t judge me, we were so desperate that we tried bribing the Central Hudson guys with a cheese plate.

I’m not even at the best part yet. THE PUMPKIN FONDUE! Yes, it’s good enough to be all caps worthy. This warm concoction of cheesy, creamy fondue comes in an actual carved out pumpkin. So it’s not only a dish but a decoration. Use her Baguette, cut in chunks, to dip. The cookie tray was a magical treat, so good that I wouldn’t use it as a utility man bribe. I said I was desperate, not crazy.

On the website the seasonal WHOLE turkey does not say if it is gluten free or not, but when the store manager was called at the Brook Park location, he looked it up and said it was gluten free.
1-216-351-1377 (Brook Park store)

Quote from the HB website: “Please note: You are now free to enjoy any of our signature meats–HoneyBaked Ham, Sliced & Glazed Turkey, Hickory Boneless Ham– without wheat gluten!”

General Mills is recalling 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios labeled “gluten free” that may contain wheat.

The company said in a press release Monday that issues offloading flour at its facility in Lodi, California may have caused the contamination, and affects four days worth of the factory’s production.

General Mills ordered boxes still at warehouses and on store shelves to be returned and is asking customers with wheat allergies to call the company at 1-800-775-8370.

Company spokesperson Kirsite Foster said, “[T]here have been reports of illness by consumers online. Two complaints of illness have been reported directly to General Mills related to the affected products.”

The company is in the process of converting five Cheerio varieties to gluten free, and this recall affects Honey Nut Cheerios and classic Cheerios in the yellow box. To determine if their cereal is affected, customers can check the “better if used by” codes of the affected boxes listed here.

The Hudson Valley Chapter of the Celiac Foundation has a monthly support group filled with presenters, samples and great information. Conference Room B 6:00-7:30pm. This month, I will be on hand to discuss all of the great GF eats and finds that the Hudson Valley has to offer. So please stop by and say hello and join the conversation about my favorite topic, food!